Surgical staples can be used to close surgical wounds and other wounds. Further, surgical staples can be used to treat certain spinal deformities, such as scoliosis. Some surgical staples can be made from shape memory metal alloys. A surgical staple made from a shape memory metal alloy can be deformed from an original shape and installed in a patient. Then, heat can be applied to the surgical staple to return the deformed staple to the original shape. When using multiple surgical staples, it may be desirable to bend the surgical staples to the same shape before installation in a patient.